Leviticus 26 Devotional

The Yoke Bars Broken

“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians. I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk in uprightness.”Leviticus 26:13 (BSB)

Two paths are set before Israel. If they walk in God's statutes, he promises rain, abundant harvests, and peace (26:4-10). Best of all, he promises to live in their midst and walk with them (26:11-12). He reminds them that he shattered the yoke of Egypt so they could stand tall (26:13). If they refuse, the warnings escalate, each sevenfold, from disease to exile (26:16-33). God calls these his discipline, meant to turn hearts that resist him (26:23).

Even the bleakest outcome does not end the chapter. If his scattered people confess their sin, God will remember his covenant with Jacob, Isaac, and Abraham, and he will not cast them off or destroy them (26:40-44). Paul applies God's promise to dwell and walk among his people to the church, the temple of the living God (2 Corinthians 6:16). The God who broke Israel's yoke still receives those who confess and turn back to him. You can walk upright today, because he walks with you.

To think about: Where do you need to turn back to God today, trusting that he receives those who confess rather than rejecting them?